MATCH PREVIEW: WEST BROM (A)

Huddersfield Town travels to the West Midlands to take on West Bromwich Albion for instalment 28 of its 38 game Premier League season.

Managed by Alan Pardew, The Baggies currently sit at the foot of the Premier League table and have lost its last four games in all competitions. Pardew took the reins at The Hawthorns in November 2017, replacing long-serving former Manager Tony Pulis who was sacked by the Club.

West Brom’s last win came towards the end of January as a brace from Jay Rodriguez and an own-goal from Joel Matip saw them secure a 3-2 victory over Liverpool FC at Anfield to progress to the Fifth Round of the Emirates FA Cup. Pardew’s sided bowed out last weekend following a 2-1 defeat to Premier League rivals Southampton.

The Northern Ireland defender tops the FPL form chart for The Baggies over the last 30 days. Brunt has spent time in both the left-back and left-midfield positions for Alan Pardew’s side and has five assists to his name this season.

2. Ahmed HegaziForm: 3.0

Having initially joined West Brom on loan at the start of the season from Egyptian side Al Ahly, The Baggies exercised a clause in the loan agreement to make his transfer a permanent one in December 2017. The central defender interestingly features in 20.4% of all FPL teams and has scored two goals this season.

3. Salomón RondónForm: 3.0

The Venezuelan joined The Baggies for a reported club-record fee of £12million in August 2015 and has scored 20 goals in 90 appearances for the West Midlanders. Rondón was on the scoresheet for West Brom last Saturday as they bowed out of the Emirates FA Cup at the Fifth Round losing 2-1 to Southampton.

* Form is a player’s average score per match, calculated from all matches played by his club in the last 30 days.

Daniel Sturridge hobbled off with an injury to his hamstring just three minutes into his West Bromwich Albion debut in their 3-0 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. The Baggies are also yet to hand a debut to January recruit Ali Gabr who was an unused sub having received a work permit in time for their game against Southampton last Saturday.

David Wagner gave an update ahead of his side’s Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round tie against Manchester United on Saturday evening. Michael Hefele was ruled out that game through illness, with the Head Coach also revealing that Sean Scannell had suffered an injury to his shoulder, ruling him out for 4-6 weeks.

Town’s Head Coach will give a further update on the availability of his squad at Thursday’s pre-match Press Conference.

Huddersfield Town will wear the its Red Alternate kit for the trip to the West Midlands. There are limited sizes still available to purchase - click here.

DIRECTIONS:

Address: West Bromwich Albion Football Club, The Hawthorns, West Bromwich, West Midlands, B71 4LF

By Car: The Hawthorns is located on the A41, around half-a-mile from Junction 1 of the M5.

By Train: The Stadium is accessible from the Hawthorns train and Metro station only. Head towards New Street, Birmingham and head towards The Hawthorns which is a short walk from the main station.

By Coach: Coach travel is still available from the Ticket Office priced at £17 and departing PPG Canalside at 10.45am - click here to purchase.

TICKETS:

Huddersfield Town has sold its full allocation of 2,737 tickets for the game.

HTTV+:

If you didn’t manage to get a ticket to the game, why not listen to full commentary of the match anywhere in the world courtesy of BBC Radio Leeds via #HTTV? To find out more, click here.

TRAVEL DISRUPTION FROM HIGHWAYS ENGLAND:

Due to essential repairs being undertaken on the M6 between junctions 6 (Spaghetti junction) and 8 (RAC building, Walsall) to the north west of Birmingham there will be night time closures on this section of the motorway

Additionally on Saturday and Sunday the M6 northbound ONLY will be restricted to 1x operational lane during the daytime – so delays can be expected from 7am to 8pm each day

There will also be daytime restrictions from the A34 and onto the northbound slip road at junction 7 (Great Barr)

Key message

Allow plenty of extra time if you plan to use the M6 northbound this weekend

Potential diversions to consider (from the south and east)

Use the M40 north / M42 / M5 north and then M6 northYou might also like to consider using the M6 toll for the northbound journey, and this will avoid the roadworks

REPORT: WEST BROM 1-2 TOWN

Town made it back-to-back victories in the Premier League with a superb display after overcoming West Bromwich Albion 2-1 at the Hawthorns.

After a goalless first 45, Rajiv van La Parra netted just three minutes after the restart to hand Town the lead, with Steve Mounié following suit to make it 2-0 on 56 minutes. Craig Dawson's header reduced the arrears to ensure a nervy finish, but the Terriers ultimately held on with some exceptional game management to clinch a vital three points.

The first trip to the Baggies' patch of the Black Country since 2001 - a 1-1 draw in which Andy Booth was the Huddersfield Town goal-scorer - resulted in two changes from last Saturday's Emirates FA Cup outing against Manchester United. Jonathan Hogg and Alex Pritchard - making his 150th career appearance in all competitions - returned to the starting XI in the respective places of Philip Billing and Tom Ince.

As expected, an electric tempo set the ball rolling, as both sides looked to catch their opposite numbers off guard with early counter attacks.

Rajiv van La Parra turned out to be Town's early source of pace, and an excel down the left failed to materialise as the killer pass towards Collin Quaner - the furthest man forward at this point - rolled agonisingly in-front of the Big German under pressure from Kieran Gibbs on the cover.

Alan Pardew's Baggies pressed high, but found a Terriers side in determined mood to build their attacks with neat passages of possession, albeit around the half-way region. Nevertheless, the quality of that possession was there to see, with the hosts proving to be particularly difficult to split with a defining pass to open up a clear opportunity.

Town set about attacking the flanks, with Alex Pritchard missing with a near-post glancing header by a matter of inches from Rajiv van La Parra's wicked left-sided cross instigated by Florent Hadergjonaj's pin-point cross-field diagonal.

West Brom scarcely ventured forward in the first 20 minutes - only a Solomon Rondón effort blazing over the bar the notable chance - and it would take a perfectly timed Christopher Schindler covering sliding intervention to prematurely halt Matt Phillips' surge down his native right whilst latching onto Craig Dawson's splitting ball from the right full-back position.

Skillful play in the centre from a combination of Rondón and Krychowiak saw the latter deliver a deep cross to the far-post aiming for the arriving Jay Rodriguez, but the on-loan PSG man put too much weight on the cross, hence resulting in a relieving dead-ball for the Red and Black clad Terriers.

Town defended relatively well from dead-ball situations, concluding in several chances for key breakaways. Pritchard won the ball back before laying to Rajiv van La Parra, and the Dutchman continued to carry all the way to the edge of the opposition box before seeing a cross hesitantly cleared.

The Terriers persisted with a great offensive threat, and would have a magnificent chance to take what would've been a thoroughly deserved lead.

Hadergjonaj's burst down the right saw the Swiss international coolly pull-back towards Alex Pritchard on the penalty spot, and as the ex-Norwich man fired at goal unmarked, it was to be the unlucky figure of Steve Mounié who crucially ended up in the way on the line to block the shot from nestling in the back of the net. As Rajiv van La Parra looked to follow-up on the rebound, Craig Dawson managed to scramble across and relieve the home side of the pressure that an inspired Town outfit was applying in large quantities.

The Baggies' responded as Matt Phillips had a generous amount of time to pick out a cross, and with West Brom's looming presence of physicality and height, Salomon Rondón rose highest, but found his header heroically blocked by Mathias Zanka.

As the hosts grew into the contest, arguably the best chance for Alan Pardew's side came and went in the form of James McClean.

The Irishman thundered a volley over the bar having drifted in without a marker around the far-post after good wing-play from Matt Phillips to work an opening on the by-line; a miss which saw the deadlock firmly poised as the interval beckoned.

Seconds after the restart, Rajiv van La Parra seemed to misjudge a header from Florent Hadergjonaj's deep centre, as Town looked to gain a quick advantage whilst taking advantage of some sloppy Albion possession.

Rajiv may have mis-timed that particular header, but the Dutch winger certainly made no mistake when the next chance came his way.

Excellent hold-up play from Steve Mounié allowed Collin Quaner to receive the ball as chief support with deadly consequences.

Quaner invitingly rolled across the face of goal, and there was that man van La Parra to expertly tuck home beyond Ben Foster - a fifth goal of the season for a player in familiar Black Country surroundings having spent a period at the Baggies' local rivals, Wolverhampton Wanderers.

That elusive opener arrived courtesy of Steve Mounié's tremendous movement into the channel; a tactic which continued to work well for the Terriers, as Gibbs and Hegazi struggled to contain the Benin striker's positional sense which gained Town credible field position to sustain the offensive pressure.

Jonas Lössl's afternoon had mainly consisted of being alert to claim deliveries authoritatively in and around his six-yard box. However, the Dane would need to show strong palms in the way of experienced midfielder Gareth Barry's powerful strike from the edge of the area.

As Jonas kept Town's lead in-tact, Steve Mounié went one better to double that lead at the other end; cueing scenes of unrivalled ecstasy amongst the ever-vocal travelling band of Town supporters at one end of the Hawthorns.

Alex Pritchard's sensationally incisive pass between the central defensive partnership of Evans and Hegazi caused the home side all sorts of problems after the troublesome Mounié sprung the offside trap before despatching past Foster; a valuable lead for which Town was more than full value.

Although the Terriers had been solid to great extents throughout much of the contest, that looming physical threat which the home side possessed reared its head from an in-swinging Chris Brunt corner.

Craig Dawson rose highest to nod home on the line to halve the arrears.

A lapse in concentration was very nearly followed up by a spectacular effort from Danny Williams.

The American tried his luck with a speculative volley from easily over 30-yards, and forced Ben Foster into a low diving save. The Baggies cleared their lines as Town probed for a killer third.

Substitute Brunt made somewhat of an important impact on the Baggies' morale. Another left-footed set-piece kept Jonas Lössl on his toes to parry away for a corner, of which nothing would come about.

As Laurent Depoitre was introduced for the impressively industrious Alex Pritchard, the Belgian had a key hand in a chance which ultimately went begging.

Danny Williams nipped in ahead of Livermore and drove forward with intent, but instead of playing in the advancing Quaner to his right, Danny this time couldn't hit the target from distance.

Van La Parra already had one to his name, and was urgent to add to his tally. A magical run took out two West Brom defenders, and a shot low to the near-post saw Foster make an important smart save with his right boot to keep the score-line at 2-1 for the time being at least.

On the break, home replacement Oliver Burke beared down on goal after good hold-up play from West Brom's own front-man, Rondón, and found a resilient Terence Kongolo in his path with a sliding tackle to end that specific threat.

As four added minutes commenced, it was fair to say that it was backs-against-the-wall for the Terriers, who had marshalled their hosts with a supreme degree of composure and solidity. The late storm would nonetheless be weathered, as Town left the West Midlands with three crucial Premier League points.